1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a cleaning device and, in particular, to a device for the cleaning of streets, pavement and the like of finely subdivided dust and debris or for the drying of wetted surfaces like artificial turf and the like. 2. Description of the Prior Art
A variety of mechanical devices have been employed for the cleaning of pavements such as streets and industrial work areas and the like. A typical city street cleaner employs a plurality of rotating brush heads which are supported from the bed of a truck and which operate to sweep debris toward the center of the truck where it can be picked up by a vacuum head. This type of device is entirely ineffective for the cleaning of pavements which have finely subdivided debris and dust thereon. Another type of cleaning device employs a vacuum head in the form of a tubular member having large diameter apertures or an elongated slot disposed along its length. This cleaning head is moved across its surface of the pavement and the air which flows into the head entrains the dust or finely subdivided debris into the vacuum system of the cleaning device. Heretofore, this type of cleaning device has not been employed with adequate vacuum support facilities and the apertures or slots of the cleaning head are oversized for such facilities resulting in the inability of this unit to develop well defined air vortexes that would scour or scrub the pavement surface by the high velocity air stream of the vortex. Additionally, such devices have not employed the simultaneous application of water sprays to the surface whereby the surface can be scrubbed or scoured in an efficient manner.
Another common failing of the prior art devices is that most of these devices have employed various filtering means such as filter cloths, bags and the like, for separating of entrained dirt and debris from the air stream. These devices are relatively inefficient when employed with finely subdivided solids and either rapidly clog and require frequent maintenance or permit the escape of the particles to the atmosphere.